Method of making homogeneous mechanical junctures.



A. B. HERRIOK.

METHOD OF MAKING HOMOGBNBOUS MEOHANIGAL JUNOTUBES. APPLICATION FILEDNOV. 25, I904. RENEWED EAR. 81, 1810.

1,012,077. Patented Dec. 19, 1911,

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A. B. HERRIGK.

METHOD OF ING HOMOGENEOUS MEOHANIGAL JDNO'IURES. APPLIOAT FILED H01251904. RENEWED UAR. 31, 1810. 1,012,077, Patented Dec. 19,1911.

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4M 6'. JA 'M Q lira? al'orn A. B. HERBIGK. METHOD OF MAKING HOMOGENEOUSMECHANICAL JUNOTURES. nrmonxou FILED 10 1 as. 1904. nnunwnn 11. a1,1910.

1,012,077. Patented Dec. 19, 1911.

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ALBERT B. HERRIO K, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASBIGNOB TO THE ELECTRIC RAILWAYIMPROVEMENT COMPANY, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, A FOBPOBATION OF OHIO.

METHOD 0! MAKING HOMOGENEOUB MEGHA NIO AL \TUNCI'UBES.

Application filed November 25, 1904, Serial No. 234,161.

' tin uish it from other inventions.

invention relates to a-method of making homogeneous mechanical juncturesbetween two metaillic bodies, and particular-l to the uniting of copperbonds and steel rai s so as to bring the electrical conductivity of theabutting rails up to the required degree.

The object of the invention is to provide such a bonding process thatmay be carried on in a rapld, economical and efficient manner.

i so

' torch is ordinari To the accomplishment of this and related ends saidinvention consists of the steps hereinafter fully described and forth inthe claims.

The present process, as will be later made clear is to be distinguishedfrom processes of soldering bonds to rails, whether by elec-' trical or.other means; for by-a homogeneous mechanical juncture I mean todesignate a union between the metals composing the bond and rail moreintimate than that secured at the low tem erature at which solder willmelt. The soldered bond has never proven asuccess practically for thereason that a soldered joint is first of all mechanically weak and abond thus attached can be very easily stripped oil the rail; in fact, inactual use, they 'very frequently shake ofi', merely owing to thevibration occasioned by passing cars. Since such bonds may be. at on ata low tem rature, as stated, a b ow l employed to supply the heat. As aresult-of the low temperature, however, there is no chan e made in thecharacter of the contacting aces of the bond andrail, but merely asufiicient heating of .of such joint is the same is had to permit thesolder to tack, as it were, the bond thereto. Not

Specification of Letters Patent.

- the low tem particularly set have hence from time Patented Dec. 19,1911. Renewed Harsh 81, 1810. Serial No. 563,871.

solder melting out and oxidizing, even at rature secured by a torch, soas to leave t e contact broken in spots. A welded union obviouslypresents many superior characteristics to a soldered joint of the kindjust discussed. A very serious difficulty arises, however, when it isattempted to efiect this kind of a union between a bond and rail, fornotonl are the masses of-the two bodies widely disparate, but the materialsof which they are composed likewise differ very much in their heatconducting character and in their temperatures of fusion. Owing to thehi her temperature needed to weld materials 0% the kind here involved,as well as the requirement that the heat be l0calized,in other words,that its application be limited to a restricted portion 0 therail,experi1nenters in bonding by welding or brazing have for the mostpart employed the electric current as the heating agent. v

I am aware of the several processes ofsoldering or welding electrically,generally known as the Thomson processes, but thwe, as is wellunderstood, have never been successfully applied to the uniting ofbodies, or masses, of unlike characteristics as to fusibility withoutmore or less modification, since such method consists in simultaneouslyraising the temperature of the two bodies to be joined to the'meltingpoint either by the passage of an electric currentdirectly'therethrough, the desired heat being produced by theresistance'enmuntered at he joint; or else by passing such a currentthrough electrodes having a high electrical resistance pressed againstthe two bodies to be joined at'points adjacent to the desired juncture.Where, however bodies of the character here under consideration are tohandled, the method just described will obviously not secure the resultsought, name the heating of the two bodies equally. viirionsmodifications of the general method of Thomson to time been broughtforth in an effort to provide a process ,for uniting bodies of thischaracter, such methods being in general directed to the problem here inhand, that of bonding rails, since this has become one of importanceowing to the rapid increase in the mileage of electric railways. Thus.it has been sou ht to obviate the difficult encountered in t e aplication of the homson process to t e welding of bodies of unequalmass, or having diti'ercnt characteristics as to fusihility, by reducingthe cross-sectional area of contact inthe case of one body. whereby the.raising in temperatures of the two bodies may be properly controlled tohringthem to the necessary welding temperature simultaneously. Theresultant welding. however, is confined to the points of contact: inother words. the entire contacting superficial areas are not united.This method, while useful in certain connections is obviouslyimpractical for the bonding of rails. inasmuch as a thorough contact of.the entire bond terminal is essential to the successful operation ofthe bond in conducting the current from one rail to the other.Accordingly. while the method just described may in certain instancesproduce a satisfactory mechanical joint, it does not produce a goodelectrical joint.

in anotherprocess. it has been sought to overcome the ditliculty notedby preliminarily and independently heating the section of the railtowhich the bond terminal is to be applied. This process. although in acertain and limited sense 'eflective, has proven obiectionable onaccount of the double operation involved and consequent loss of time.the joint. owing to the presence of the large mass of highly heatedsteel. cooling relatively slowlv and thus not only entailing delay butalso causing deterioration of the bond at the point of juncture. Instill another method, a welding or brazing of the bond to the rail hasbeen sought to be accomplished by concentrating: heat from two externalsources upon the metals at cp posite sides of the joint as in theThomson process. but varying the respective heat intensities as thenature of the metals might require. The difficulties in practicallycarrying out this method of bonding will likewise be apparent. for asidefrom the more or less delicate character of the adjustment of the'heatintensitv involved. this method like the one preceding involves theheating of a relatively large section of the rail 'with the sameconsequences above named. Neither of the two methods last described haveever. so far as is known. been carried out on anything like a commercialscale. By my present method or process I am enabled to obtain. to amore. perfect degree than by the twoabove named processes,

a welded ioint between the copper of the bond and the steel of the rail.whilerat the I same time the rapidity by. which the operation may becarried on is much increased.

The annexed drawings and the following description set: forth in detailcertain steps invention. the disclosed method, however. being but one ofvarious. ways in which the' principle of my invention may be employed:

In said annexed drawings z l igurel represents a vertical transversecross-section of a. standardstecl rail and a bond applied thereto, andin position for the bonding process. In this figure, I have alsoillustrated a portion of the means for holding the bond in place and forsupplying the necessary electrically generated heat for earrying out theprocess. Fig. 2 represents a front elevation of one of the. bonds usedin this process a portion of the cementing or fluxing mad rial, that isdesirably placed between the bond and the rail at the beginning of the.process, being shown broken away on one end of such bond; in thisfigure, I have also indicated in dotted lines the ends of two contiguousrails sons to show the relative positions of said rails and bond. Fig. 3represents an elerational view of the strip of fiuxing material such asmay be. applied between the bond and the rail as indicated in Fig. 2.Fig. 4 reprcsents a. vertical transverse section of such strip. Fig. 5represents a view. similar to that of Fig. 1, but showing the bond inits condition of firm union with the rail, the lower end of the devicefor clamping the head of the bond being also shown in the position whichit occupies at the end of the process. Fig. 6 represents an elevationalview of the mechanism for moving a clamping and heating device, that maybe used in my improved process, toward and from the rail and alsovertically. Fig. 7 represents an and elevation of such mechanism: Fig.8.is a transverse section of a portion of such mechanism. And Figs. 9and 10 respectively show in diagrammatic fashion two optionalarrangements of the electric circuit as employed in carrying on mynnproved process.

My improved process is preferably carried out in the hereinafterdescribed mannerz-The bond A is preferably formed of laminations ofcopper ribbon of suitable d 1- m'ensions. one form being that shown inFig. 2, wherein the bond is given a general U-shaped form with widenedterminals a-a. One surface of such terminal is desirably covered with astrip B of sheet brass or bronze, or similar mater1al, wh1ch possesses acomparatively high melting mt, such melting point being, howeyer, owerthan that of copper, and which will, when melted serve to more readilyand evenly conduct the heat from the copper to the steel, and to protectthe adjacent faces of the bond and rail from oxidation durlng theheating recess. The strip of brass 1s preferably.

ormed as shown, with a multiplicity of 1n-. dentations b formedalternatel upon opposite sides of the strip, as clear y ap G&IS,1IlFigs. 3 and 4. Through the me mm of these indentations it wil be seenthat/"the surface of the strip in contact with the copin any suitablemanner, as, for example, by

turning under the lower corners and pressing the sameupon the terminaland providing the upper portion of the strip with a flan e 1) bearingupon the upper surface of.

the mud terminal. A flux, which may be of any suitable material, mayalso be ad vantageously used between the b It] and rail to dissolve 01'remove ilnpuriti s from their surfaces and thus facilitate their union.

The lateral surfaces of the abutting rails to which it is "intended to aply the bond are first cleansed to remove t ierefrom scale and rust,which might detract from the formation of a perfect union. This ispreferably done by grinding or chiseling which may be done by anysuitable mechanism.

The terminals of the bond are then applied to such surfaces and in amanner such as to interpose the brass or bronze strip bet-ween the bond,proper, and the rails, as shown in Fig. 2.. It will be noted that inthis position the area of the surfaceof the strip in contact with therailis considerably less than the entire cipposing surfaces of the saidbond and rail. The bond being so placed by hand or by means of asuitable holder,

aheating device D is next caused to press uponthe outer surface of thebond terminals, as shown, so as to hold the bond firmly in the describedposition.

The heating'device here chosen for illustrative purposes is shown inpart only and consists essentiallyof a block of carbon 1) .so mounted asto be movable in a vertical direction, together with'its holder, wherebythe required position thereof may be efl'ected opposite that .portion ofthe lateral surface of the rail to which it is desired to attach thebond, such block being furthermore movable in a transverse directionwith resgmct to the rail surface thus referred to.

0 much of the mounting-or holder of the block as is herein shownconsistssimply of an electrical conductor d, with whose lower end is connectedthe holder proper d. It is to the inner surface of the latter that car-.bon block D is secured, the latter being in electrical connection withthe conductor d through the medium of the said holder d. Such conductor1 is flexibly connected-with a support E that is movable upwardly anddownwardly and toward and from the rail to permit of the adjustments ofthe carbon block just described. By the means just described such carbonmay be caused to bear firmly against the bond, in position and hold thesame tightly to the rail. A suitable Fig. 9.

source of electricity is provided for passing a current througlraclrcuit including carbon D, whereby the latter may be raised to anydesired degree of temperature owinF to the resistance mterposed by thematerin of which it is made, to the passage of such currenttherethrough, the )referred arrangement of circuit being thatillustrated in The bond having been placed, as previously describedincontact with the adjacent ends of the two rails to be joined, see Fig.2. wh .rein such rail ends are shown in dot-ted outline, the carbonblock is brought against one of the terminals of the bond andpreferably, for a reason to be explained presently, in such manner asto" cause the block to assume a slight] 'inclined position as is shownin Fig. 5-. urrent is now turned on and passed through the carbon block,bond terminal, interposed stri of brass or bronze (if used), and thenai.Owing to the character of the interposed strip, fully described above,sufiicient resistance is developed to effect the fusion of suclrstripupon the initial applicationof current. The continued passage of thecurrent through the carbon block causes the latter thereupon to behighly heated and such heat is transmitted by conduction through thebond and the now molten strip, which in its-fused condition forms a sue- .rior heat and electrical conducting joint lietween the bond andrail, whereupon the contacting face of the rail becomes heated andsoftened to a sufficient extent to form av in the afore-mentioned Fig.5, is thus maintained. Were it reduced, as would be the case if-thecarbon were applied squarely, the electrical conductivity of the bondwould be reduced below its designed amount.

The above described process may be carried out simultaneously upon thetwo terminals if desired, in which event a duplicate of the device Djust described is provided, referably upon the same support, asillusrated in Fig. 6.

While the above. describedprocess embodies the preferred way of carryingout my improved method, and effects the required result with facility, Ihave found that it is not essential, in so far as concerns the spirit ofthe invention. to use either a flux or a strip of brass or bronze, butthat the copper may be united directly to the steel rail by the stepshereinbcfore described, providing a current such as will effect thenecessary temperature be utilized. Results in practice, however, haveshown that the temperature application has to be prolonged withattendant possibility of injury to the structure of the rail head, whichit is one of the purposes of the present process to a void as hasalready been pointed out. The process may also be carried out withoutpassing the heating electric currcntthrough the bond, in other wordswithout introducing the bond and rail into the electric circuit, but bymaintaining the contact of the carbon block with the bond terminal andpassing the current through the carbon block only, the latter beingdirectly connected in the circuit, where the rail is not the returnconductor, as shown in Fig. 10. In other words, regarding the process inits general aspect, such block constitutes simply an external heatsource whereby heat may be applied to or concentrated upon the bond. Thelatter then conducts the heat thus rcccived to the portion of the railthat it is desired immediately to affect and being of a character suchas to permit this conduction at a very rapid rate, more rapidly, inother words, than the heat can be dissipated through the rail, I findthat the contacting superficics of the two bodies are raised practicallysimultaneously to the required welding temperature. This, it will beobvious, is accomplished without the loss of time and. waste of energythat would be incidental to raising to such tcmperature thc entiresection of rail adjacent to the portion to be bonded. By reason of thehigh welding temperature of copper and steel and the rapid conduction ofheat by the rail, the current may be turned olt practicallysimultaneously with the pressure and a satisfactory joint produced. Thisfeature, it will hence be seen, facilitates the operation by dispensingwith the prolonged aplication of the pressure after the'current isturned off, such prolonged pressure being a necessary feature not merelyof the Thomson process, but so far as I am aware, of all of the latermodifications of this process to which reference has been made above.

v The use of the strip of brass 'or bronze,

body is admirably adapted to cover the juxtaposed faces'of the bond andrail,.so as to protect them from oxidation durin the subsequent stageof'the operation, untl the bond and rail face arebrought to a weldingtemperature. While it is contemplated that the preliminary fusion of thestrip may be best. accomplis ied by constituting of it an element ofresistance, as by the means hereinbeforc described, so that the initialettect ofthe electric current (before sutlicicnt time has necessarilyelapsed to raise the carbon block to incandesccnco) will be to melt thestrip. Obviously, however, the relatively lower fusing point ofthelmiterial of the stri will insure such rcliminar meltin P57 were therising tcmpm'ature of the electrode alone depended upon as the source ofheat for this purpose. Claims specifically involving the use of thisstrip of brass or equivalent material to accomplish the foregoingrcsulhhavc, it should be explained, had to be divided out of this caseand are presented in a separate application, filed October 26th, 1908,Serial N0. 459,503.

ln conclusioh it should be noted that in general 1 herein refer to thejuxtaposed or contiguous faces of the bond and rail at the desired pointof union as the contacting faces. This is simply for uniformity inexpression, and does not of necessity imply that the faces in questionare literally in contact, especially not at the beginning of theoperation nor where a sheet. of brass or bronze is interposed, as may bethe case, irrespective of which of the two arrangements of electriccircuit for carryin out the process be adopted. Where such rass orbronze is employed, it will hence be understood, unless expressly statedto the contrary, to constitute in effect a part of the bond, beingpreferably more or less permanently secured thereto, as in the caseofthe bond hereinbeforc described.

()thcr modes of a )plyiug the principle of my invention may 0 employedinstead of the one explained, change eing madeas regards the processherein disclosed, provided the step or steps stated by any one of thefollowing claims or the ct uivalent of such stated ste J or steps be cmpoyed.

I there ore particularly point out and distinctly claim as myinvention 1. The method of homogeneously uniting metal bodies havingunlike heat conductivities, which consists in holding said bodies incontact at the desired point of union, and thereupon applying heat froma single external source to sai bodies, the heat applied to the body ofgreater conductivity assing by conduction through sucli body to t econtacting f cc of the second body, whereby said first ody and suchcontacting face of the second body are brought to a weldingtemperature.- practically simultaneously, substantially as described;

2. The method of homogeneously uniting metal bodies having unlike heatconductivities, which consists in holding said bodies in contact at thedesired point of union, or metal bodies having unlike characteristicsaejo n d th reupon applyin heat to that to fnsibihty, the more readily.fusible side of thet'oint only on whic the body of harmg also the eaterheatconductivity, reater con activity is located, whereby said Wll'lCll'GOIlSlSliS 1n olding sa1d ,bod1es m con- 5 cd of greater conductivityand the con- ,taet at the deslred point of 11111011, and there- 70tactlng face of the other body are brought to upon a plying heat from anexternal source I a welding temperature practically simulto the st ormore readily fusible body only, taneously, substantially as described. 7re y fi lvely eatmg the contact ng 3. The method of homogeneouslyuniting face of the second body by conduction 10 metal bodies havingunlike characteristics. as through $11011 fir dy,'wh r b B1 11 fir 75 tofusi'bility, .the more readily fusible body ody n h ontacting face 0 thesecond having also the eater heat conductivity, body are brought to awelding, temperature which consists in iolding said bodies in con-vsract cally simultaneously, su stantlally as tact at the desired pointof union, or joint escrlbed.

and thereupon applyingheatto that side 0 he method of homogeneouslyumtmg so the joint only on which the first or more metal b06168 0funlike masses and dlfi'erent readily fusible body is located, wherebysaidt mp ratures of fusion, the smaller mass more readily fusible bodyand the contactin havln both e lower p a re of fuslon face of the otherbody are brought to a wel and t e greater heat conductivity; which intemperature ractically simultaneously, consists in holding said bodiesin contact at 85 su stantially as escribed. the desired point of union;and thereupon 4. The method of homogeneously uniting app ying hea froman external Source to metal bodies of unlike masses and difierent d firor smaller body only; thereby temperatures of fusion, the smaller masseife tively h a ing the con a ting face of having both the lowertemperature and the he l rger body b conduction through such greaterheat conductivity; which consists infirst b dy, Where y Such first ioi toldin said bodies in contact at the desired nta ting fa e of he sec nddy ar point 0 union, or joint; and thereupon apg t to a Weldingtemperature practiplying heat to that side of the 'oint only on alslmflt ne y, substantially 98 16 which the first or smaller ha y islocated, scri ed. 95 whereby said smaller body and the contact- 9; hemethod of homogeneously uniting ing face of the larger body are broughtto a metal bodies having unlike characteristics welding temperaturepracticall simulta- 85 t0 fusibility, he more r adily fusibl neously,substantially as describec. body havin also the greater heat conduc- 5.The method of homo eneously uniting tivity; Whi consists i di g Saidbodies 100 av bond to a rail, which consists in holding in contact atthe desired point of union; the bond in contact with the rail at thedeand directly heatmg the-first or more read- Vsired point of 1111101101mint; and heating ily fusible body only, such heating being n such oin'tfrom the bond side only, such eifee d by pr s ingan ele f d f h h r 40heating bein efiected by pressing an elecsistan agam t he oute face osai fi s 105 '60 through such first body, w

trode of big resistance against the outer body'a-nd thereupon passing aheating elecface of said bond and then passing an electric current throu11 said electrode until a trio current through said electrode, suchhightem erature is produced; thereby efcu-rrent being ada ted to roducea high fectively eating the contactingl face of the tom rature 1n saielectroe; thereby efi'ecsecond body by conduction t rough said 110 tivey heating the contacting face of said first body, whereby such firstbody) and the rail from the same electrode by conduction contacting faceof the second ody are through said bond, whereby said bond and broughtto a welding temperature practisuch contacting face of the rail arebrought call simultaneously, substantially as deto a welding temperaturepracticall simulscri ed. 116

taneously, substantially as describe I 10. The method of homogeneouslyunit- 6. The method of homogeneously uniting ing metal bodies of unlikemasses and difmetal bodies having unlike heat conductiv1- ferenttemperatures of fusion, the smaller ties, which cons'mts'in holding saidbodies in body. having both the lower temperature of contact at thedesii-ed point of union, and fusionand the greater heat conductivity;120

thereupon applying heat from an external which consists in holdingsaidbodies in consource to the body ,of greater conductivity tact at thedesired point of union; and dionly, thereby efl'ectively heating thecontactrectly heating said smaller body only, such ing'face of ,theother body by conduction heating bein efiected by pressing an elecerebysuch first trode of big resistance against the outer I body and thecontact-ing face of the second face of said smaller body and thenpassing body are brought to a weldinuglstemperature a heating electriccurrent through said elec- W tactically simultaneously, s tantially astrode until a hightemperature is produced;

ascribed; thereby effectively heating the contacting 66 7. The method ofhomogeneously uniting face of said larger body by conduction trode ofbig through said smaller body, whereby said smaller body and thecontacting face of said larger body are brought to a welding temperaturepractically simultaneously, substantially as described.

11. The method of homogeneously uniting metal bodies having unllkecharacteristics as to fusibility, the more readily fusible body havi-nalso the greater heat conductivity; which consists in holding saidbodies in contact at the desired point of union; and directly heatingthe first, or more readilty fusible, body only, such heating being e'ected by pressing an electrode of hi [1 re sistance against the outerface of suit first body and thereupon passing an electric currentthrough said electrode and bodies, such current being adapted to producea high tem erature In said electrode; thereby effeetlvely heating thecontacting face of the second body from the same electrode, byconduction through the first body, whereby said first body and suchcontactlng face of the second body are brought to a welding temperaturepractically simultaneously, substantially as described.

12. The method of homogeneously uniting metal bodies of unlike massesand different temperatures of fusion, the smaller mass having both thelower temperature of fusion and the greater heat conductivity; whichconsists in holding said bodies in contact at the desired point, ofunion; and di-,

rectly heating said smaller body only, such heating bein efi'ected bypressing an elecresistance against the outer face of said smaller bodyand then passing an electric current throu h said electrode and bodies,such current ein adapted to produce a high temperature in sandelectrode; thereby effectively heating the coneffected by pressing anelectrmie of. high resistunce against the outer face of said bondandthen pass-in an electric current through said electrode, end andrail, such current being adapted to produce a high tem erature in saidelectrode; thereby effectively heating the contacting face of said railfrom the same electrode by conduction through said bond, whereby; saidbond and such contacting face of the rail are brought to a weldingtemperature practicall simultaneously, substantially as describe 14. Themethod of uniting rail, which consists in holding a terminal of the bondin contact with the rail at the desired point of union; pressing anelectrode of high resistance against the outer face of said bond; andthen passing a heating electric current through said electrode until ahigh temperature is produced therein, said electrode being ressedagainstsaid bond at an angle to its ace, substantially as described.

Signed by me, this 21st day of November 1904.

a bond to a

